by J. H. Croix
“Right here,” I replied, taking a quick stride back to place an appropriate distance between Valentina and me.
Jackson leaned into the doorway. “There you are. Hey, Valentina,” he said easily, tossing a quick smile her way.
“Hey, Jackson. Shay asked me to meet with Dani to go over the accounts from last month,” Valentina explained.
“Of course. I gotta steal Lucas from you.”
“Whatcha need?”
“Oh, we got a big load of hay. Wade and Dawson are both out this afternoon, so I figured maybe I could sweet-talk you into helping me out.”
“Is this your version of sweet talk?” I quipped.
Jackson rolled his eyes. “I guess it is.”
“Sure thing. Give me a few, and I’ll meet you out there.”
Jackson nodded. “Thanks, man.” At that, he spun on his heel and headed back down the hallway.
I liked working for Jackson. For starters, he was a friend. While he was technically everyone’s boss here, seeing as he owned the lodge, that wasn’t how he approached running the place. He approached it as a team endeavor and worked harder than the rest of us.
He’d only just slowed down a bit in the past few months because he fell head over heels in love with Shay. I’d known the first day she was here that he would fall in love with her if he hadn’t already. It was good to see him relax enough to forget about work sometimes.
I glanced back at Valentina, unable to resist catching her hand in mine and meeting her halfway as I tugged her toward me.
“What are you doing?” she whispered fiercely, her cheeks turning that pretty shade of pink again.
“We have a small problem,” I heard myself saying. It felt as if I were always hearing myself say things when it came to Valentina now. My words skipped ahead of my thoughts and danced out of my mouth before I had a chance to check myself. The cylinders in my brain didn’t seem to fire on time when it came to her.
“I want to kiss you every time I see you,” I murmured right before brushing my lips across hers again. Because I couldn’t resist one last touch.
She made another one of those soft sounds in her throat and sighed. I let myself have just a taste, a quick swipe of my tongue against hers before I stepped away, quite reluctantly.
“Is that a problem?” she teased, throwing me off balance.
Even though it had only been the past week or so that I’d let myself think about Valentina this way—as a virgin sexpot—I knew she had a sense of humor. She’d regaled the staff a few times at dinner with funny stories about the contrast of her life with her parents. Prayers morning and evening, and people cutting pills in the church bathroom and selling them to the congregation if they could get away with it.
“Well, I won’t say it’s a bad idea. Just that I’m guessing you don’t want me kissing you in front of everyone.”
She shrugged. “Whatever. I don’t have many secrets.”
I held her gaze for a long moment, the pull to reach for her again magnetic. I resisted the urge and smiled, reaching out to tug on that loose curl resting against her cheek. Her hair was silky in my fingers, the curl bouncing when I let it go.
“Until next time then,” I said as I forced my feet to turn and leave. This time, I made it all the way down the hallway. I had Jackson waiting on me.
I stepped out into the bright sunshine, running into a wall of heat. It was August in North Carolina, which meant it was hot as fucking hell. The air was soft, the humidity caressing my skin. Sweat formed almost instantly as I strode down the path that led from this part of the farm to the other.
A cluster of trees and a small rise were between the barns and the old farmhouse. Jackson had built a new barn in this area, which served as the vet clinic upstairs with the horses in the lower floor. Built into a hill, the upper floor had parking for the clinic.
Another new barn sat on the far side of the pasture and housed the rescue program and a hodgepodge of animals. The family’s original farmhouse sat across from the vet clinic beside the pasture.
As I walked quickly, Valentina consumed my mind every step of the way. Beyond the heat, I could’ve used a cold shower just to calm my body down. As it was, I had to force her out of my mind to get my arousal under control. The last thing Jackson needed was to see me worked up.
Chapter Nine
Valentina
“So what’s up with you and Lucas?” Dani asked a few days later.
A second ago, we had been discussing some new accounts for supplies. She shifted gears so fast I practically got whiplash.
Although it probably would’ve happened anyway, I blamed my blush on her catching me off guard. I looked up, trying to ignore the fiery heat on my cheeks, but Dani’s expression was bland. I might not have known her for long, but I knew better. She was fishing.
“Why would you ask that?” I countered, striving to keep my tone casual.
“Um, because he couldn’t keep his eyes off you. And I know that look.”
“What look?”
“The one where Lucas looked like he’d have been quite happy if you two were alone in the room, so he could lock the door and have his way with you,” Dani explained pointedly.
I leaned back in my chair with a sigh, figuring I might as well not even bother to fake any of this.
“He kissed me,” I announced.
A flash of satisfaction pierced me at the look of surprise on Dani’s face. “What?!”
“He kissed me,” I repeated. “Twice.”
“I think I’m going crazy,” Dani replied, giving her head a little shake. “Are you serious? Of course you are. I don’t even know why I’m asking. You’re probably the single most honest person I’ve ever met.”
“Oh, that can’t be true. You’re totally honest, and Shay’s honest and Evie and so on.”
Dani picked up a pencil and started twirling it between her fingers. “I don’t mean other people are dishonest. Just that, well, you’re not even good at faking it.”
I could be sly when I wanted, and I chose now. “Oh, like when you pretend you don’t have a thing for Wade?”
Dani’s eyes narrowed, and the pencil stopped spinning. “Oh, I see how it is. You can be sneaky. Anyway,” she continued, sidestepping my comment about Wade, “my point was I observed Lucas noticing you in a big way. And now you tell me he kissed you. Next thing I know, I’m gonna walk outside and Gloria will be flying,” she said.
I burst out laughing. “Is it that unusual for Lucas to kiss someone?”
Dani placed the pencil back in a mug full of pens and pencils on her desk and cocked her head to the side. “I don’t know exactly how unusual it is. What is unusual is Lucas doesn’t like complications. He’s certainly never kissed anyone who works here. Because that would be a complication.”
Seeing as I’d already blurted out what happened, I decided now was a good time to scope out some info on Lucas. Dani seemed to know just about everything about everyone. “What happened to Rylie’s mother?” I asked.
Dani sighed, sadness flickering in her eyes. “She died. Aneurysm.”
“Oh my God,” I said slowly before quickly gulping in a breath. “That’s so sad.”
“It is. Rylie had just turned one. As I told you before, it turned out she was having an affair behind Lucas’s back with one of his friends.”
An abrupt jab of pain hit my chest. Even though I’d already heard that detail, it burned. “I feel kind of angry with her, but she’s dead, and that doesn’t seem right.”
Dani nodded. “Yep, that about sums it up. You just elucidated what Lucas has been dealing with since he found out. It hit him hard. He might not be my type, but Evie’s right. You’d have to be blind not to notice he’s got it going on. He and Melissa dated in college and were pretty serious, and then she got pregnant. Lucas was so damn excited about that baby. If there’s one thing I can tell you about Lucas, it’s that when he commits to something, he’s all in. That was what he was like with Melissa and R
ylie. Of course, he’s still like that with Rylie. That man would lay down his life for his little girl. But as far as kissing anyone other than a one-night stand on a weekend out of town, well, let’s just say it has not happened. I would know.” She eyed me, her gaze almost wondering. “Wow.”
“Why do you say wow?” I was honestly curious.
“I dunno,” Dani finally said after several beats. “You’re crazy beautiful, but you keep to yourself in a way. I guess I’m a little shocked because you don’t strike me as the kind of woman anyone would think of as casual.”
I could see her point. I didn’t know what Lucas saw in me.
Now that he’d kissed me—not once but twice—while I might not understand his motivations, I recognized the wild in the pulse of desire between us. I might not have much experience with desire, but I knew what I felt, and it was powerful.
Eyeing Dani, I replied, “I have no idea, but he sure is a good kisser.”
Dani burst out laughing, slapping her hand on her desk as she threw her head back. “Oh my God! I love that about you,” she said when she managed to stop laughing.
“Love what?”
“You just tell it like it is. It’s fucking awesome.” Pausing, she narrowed her eyes. “Hey, what are you doing tonight?”
“It’s top secret, but I’m not doing anything. I’m just going to my cabin to read. I don’t know if you noticed yet, but I don’t have a very busy social life.”
Dani smiled. “Oh, don’t bash yourself for that. Except for Dawson, and here and there Evie and Grace, most of us here work and sleep, and that’s about it. I was asking because Shay’s coming over to have pizza and wine with me later. I thought maybe you could join us.”
“I’d love to.”
Dani grinned as she stood from her desk. Perfect. “We’ll have to get Shay’s opinion on Lucas.”
My cheeks heated again, and I rolled my eyes. “You should know I haven’t had much practice with girl talk.”
Dani shrugged. “Who cares? We’re just glad to have you here. I can tell you this, and I’m being dead serious, you are a godsend to Shay and Jackson with the accounting. Ever since Jackson and his sister got this place up and running, they were using this accountant in Asheville. He was fine, but they don’t exactly have a straightforward situation here. Between the rescue, the lodge, and the vet clinic, it’s complicated. They really needed someone like you to come in and tidy it up.”
I beamed. “Oh, I’m so glad! I love this job.”
Dani rounded the desk and curled her arm around my shoulders, giving me a squeeze as we walked out of her office and down the hallway.
“I need to get up front to check on some stuff in the kitchen. Shay and I are going to meet here at seven. I’ll leave some food out for anybody who’s picking up, but I’m not cooking a meal for the staff tonight. We’ll see you at seven?”
At my nod, she waved and hurried through the doorway into the kitchen. Meanwhile, I left out the back, intending to return to my cabin and … Oh, who was I kidding? I was probably not going to get a damn thing done while I mooned over Lucas. God, that man could kiss.
I figured I didn’t even need the rest. Kissing alone was enough.
Chapter Ten
Valentina
“More wine?” Shay asked from across the table, lifting the bottle and arching a brow.
Glancing at my glass, I shrugged. “Sure. It’s not like I’m driving anywhere.”
Leaning over, Shay tilted the bottle and filled my glass with more of the deep red wine. Dani returned to the table, sliding a platter straight out of the oven onto the middle of the table and handing out three plates.
“In case I didn’t mention it, change of plans. Nachos instead of pizza. I didn’t want to miss out on the ripe avocados, which go from ripe to the compost in about an hour, so we had to beat the clock. I’ve got fresh guac and salsa, so hang on,” she said. Spinning away, she walked quickly back to the table in the center of the kitchen, returning with two bowls of the promised additions.
“Dani makes the best nachos,” Shay said solemnly.
The heaping platter had tortilla chips layered with melted cheese, fresh tomatoes, sliced onions, and beans. My mouth watered just looking at it.
“I bet she does,” I belatedly replied.
Dani chuckled as she sat down. “Shay’s just saying that to make sure I keep feeding her.”
“No, she’s serious,” I said with a vigorous nod. “I’m pretty sure you make the best of everything.”
Dani’s cheeks flushed lightly, and she shrugged. “I love to cook, but y’all don’t need to flatter me to make me do it.”
Shay rolled her eyes and nudged Dani with her shoulder. “You just told me Valentina is the most honest person you know. If you can’t trust the rest of us, at least take her word for it.”
Dani twisted her lips before taking a sip of her wine. “Fine. I won’t argue the point.”
We settled in to enjoy her nachos. After a few bites, Dani glanced at Shay, and asked, “So how are things with you and Jackson? Now that you’re not dancing around each other anymore.”
Shay’s cheeks flushed slightly. She finished chewing, and a smile unfurled slowly. “Well, um, things are great.”
Dani caught my eye and winked. “They are so in love. It’s ridiculous.”
“Even I can tell he’s head over heels in love with you,” I offered. I meant it. Jackson was so obviously enamored with Shay. It was quite sweet really.
“You two deserve it,” Dani said, her gaze sobering slightly.
Although Shay never spoke of it, I knew from the news that she’d been through her share of hell. What with her ex ending up splashed all over the news after assaulting her and subsequently killing two people when he was driving drunk.
I knew a bit about the weight of the past. Not that I had my own heavy past to carry. With my parents opening up our church and home to people in need, I had an idea of just how quickly a life could crash and burn as events snowballed out of control. I was glad for Shay’s sake that she had landed on her feet after what she went through.
Shay smiled softly. “I don’t know that we deserve it any more than anyone else, but I’ll take it.”
Dani’s speculative gaze landed on me. After our conversation earlier that afternoon, I knew she had lingering questions. I sensed she was trying to assess if it was okay for her to mention anything in front of Shay. It was. Due to how managed my childhood had been, the idea of being the subject of gossip almost thrilled me. Although I didn’t know if it counted as gossip when it was just between three people, and I was one of them.
I glanced at Shay. “Lucas kissed me.”
She almost choked on her sip of wine, her eyes widening.
Dani started laughing. She handed Shay a napkin to wipe up the drop of wine running down her chin. “Yep. I was shocked too.”
“You already know about this?” Shay asked before shaking her head. “Oh, I don’t even know why I asked. You know everything before anyone else does.”
“Hey, I only found out today,” Dani protested. “And only because Lucas couldn’t keep his eyes off Valentina.”
Shay cast a wondering glance in my direction. “I don’t know what to think.”
“Yeah, me neither,” Dani not-so-helpfully added.
After pausing to add a spoonful of guacamole to the nachos on her plate, Shay looked over. “So I’m guessing you like him?”
“Of course. What’s not to like?” I replied, striving to keep my tone casual.
It was a wasted effort because my cheeks were flaming. I didn’t even know how to describe how I felt about Lucas. My body felt like a hot fizzy drink inside when he was near. Odd, but that was how it felt.
“He pretty much keeps to himself,” Shay commented, glancing at Dani. “What do you know?”
“Everything I told Valentina earlier. As far as I know, Lucas hasn’t dated anyone since his wife died. He definitely doesn’t like complications. If I
had a little more nerve, I’d ask him about Valentina.”
“Wow,” Shay said, her tone deadpan. “You’re short on nerve? That’s a new one.”
Dani rolled her eyes before her gaze swung to me. “Okay, now that we’re not busy, how did this whole thing start anyway?”
My cheeks got even hotter. “Here’s what happened. He accidentally got a package for me,” I began.
“What the hell was in the package?” Dani interjected.
“Exactly what I was wondering,” Shay chimed in.
Embarrassment aside, I figured I might as well tell them the truth because it was kind of funny. I also needed some advice. “A vibrator,” I replied with a sheepish smile.
This time, Dani spit out her wine. Shay burst out laughing, snagging a napkin from the stack in the center of the table and handing it to Dani.
“Oh my God! Did he know what it was?” Dani asked as she wiped the wine off the table.
“Unfortunately, yes,” I said with a sigh. “The box just had the lodge address on it.”
Dani bit her lip to keep from laughing again. “Did you just want to die?”
“Pretty much, but it’s a good story.”
“So he kissed you then?” Shay asked, tapping her fingers on the table as she nibbled on a tortilla chip.
“No, not then. He kissed me the other night when I brought Rylie out to his truck after she spent the afternoon with us at the clinic. She was sound asleep,” I explained.
Shay grinned. “Don’t worry, the world wouldn’t have ended if she’d been awake and he kissed you.”
“I know, but still. Anyway, then he kissed me again today. Now I don’t know what to think.”
“I think Lucas really likes you,” Dani said, her curls bouncing as she nodded emphatically.
I was quiet, absorbing that observation. The thing was, I didn’t really know how to interpret any of this. I knew the authenticity of what I felt between us. My one concern was his daughter, but we didn’t have to let any of this affect Rylie. It never crossed my mind that Lucas would want anything more from me than something sexual. I couldn’t say why I thought that, but it seemed the least complicated option. For a man who didn’t appreciate complications, that is.
